Planets: an introduction
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| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
Planets: an introduction is one of a series of short, flexible 10-point courses introducing fascinating topics in science. This course concentrates on the planets and planet-sized objects in orbit around our own star (the Sun), but also delves into our rapidly advancing knowledge of planets of other stars. It also enables you to try out an area of study before you commit yourself to a longer course, or top up your knowledge and skills between longer courses. It has a choice of start dates, and you decide how long to take over your studies: eight to ten weeks, or up to five months.
Course content
Although they have many characteristics in common, each of the planets in our solar system is different. You will examine some of the amazingly detailed images of planetary surfaces available thanks to the space programme and modern telescopes. This course will also develop your understanding of some aspects of science that you can apply to other situations.
If you are a beginner in science you will find that the course guide introduces new scientific ideas as you need them, progressively developing more sophisticated concepts and skills. If you are an amateur astronomer, or have read popular books on astronomy, you will find that the course develops your understanding and introduces areas of planetary science that you have not met before.
If you are keen on geology or meteorology, you will find much to interest you in the study of comparable processes on other planetary bodies.
This course is based on Teach Yourself Planets, which is a popular science book written by the course author, supported by a library of planetary images on CD-ROM.
Entry
You need little more than an interest in planets and the motivation to discover more about them.
Mathematically, you need only be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide simple numbers. The structured teaching will take you to a level at which you are happy to use maths as a tool in a range of scientific contexts. A maths skills ebook is provided to help you with, for example, fractions, percentages, reading graphs and tables, and scientific units as required by the course.
To cope with the printed material you should be able to understand in outline the sort of articles printed in the ‘quality’ newspapers. You should also be able to write your thoughts down comprehensibly.
You can check that you have the appropriate background by trying out the interactive quiz Are you ready for science study? If you have any doubt about the level of study, please seek advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our:
- BSc (Honours) Physical Science (B27)
- BSc (Honours) Geosciences (B25)
- BSc (Honours) Secondary Education in Physics (B56)
- Certificate in Contemporary Science (C70)
- Certificate in Introductory Astronomy (C91)
It can also count as 10 points towards an Open University bachelors degree, and would be particularly suitable for inclusion in one of the BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences degrees alongside other 10-point science courses. We advise you to refer to the relevant award descriptions for information on the circumstances in which the course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements of a qualification may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Some of the printed course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging, as it relies heavily on coloured images. You will need to made considerable use of a personal computer.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting your needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Two books (course guide and Teach Yourself Planets), study guide, image CD-ROM, assessment, maths skills ebook, website.
Some of the course materials are not available electronically via the course website so if you are studying this course outside the EU and register close to the start date you may have to plan to study the course over the longer (5-month) time period.
You will need
A basic scientific calculator.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Study support
You can telephone or email a study adviser who will be able to help you with academic questions to do with the course and the assessment. There will also be an online discussion forum that you can use to get in touch with study advisers and other students.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your end-of-course assessment (ECA).
The ECA comprises some multiple-choice computer-marked questions and some questions that require written answers.
For each course presentation there is a choice of two alternative dates by which you have to submit the single piece of assessment: February course start completes end of April or end of July; May start completes end of July or end of October; September start completes end of October or end of January; November start completes end of January or end of April.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The course starts in February, May, September and November of each year. The last starting date is expected to be September 2010. A replacement course is not planned.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Science.
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Student Reviews
I would recommend this course to everyone, I now look at the night sky in a new light! Images on ...
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A terrific course. It was my first OU course and I was worried that I would find it difficult to ...
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